# Pokémon cards



## Barubu (Oct 2, 2010)

*Pokémon cards*

So, since I am now recieving an allowance, I've decided to get into TCG. I was wondering if there were any certain types of booster packs that you would suggest, or stores that you know sell them for a low price. I'm in the U.S., so any out-of-country stores probably wouldn't benefit me. Thanks for your help.


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## Green (Oct 2, 2010)

*Re: Pokémon cards*

OOH.

1st-3rd generation cards are arguably the best-illustrated, if you're interested in those kinds of things. 4th gen are the most playable from what I've heard.


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## Barubu (Oct 2, 2010)

*Re: Pokémon cards*

What do you mean by 'most playable'?


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## Green (Oct 2, 2010)

*Re: Pokémon cards*

As in recent so they're usable in tournaments and have the most combos and what have you.

I dunno, I just like the art.


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## Barubu (Oct 2, 2010)

*Re: Pokémon cards*

Oh, okay. So, are earlier cards not allowed in tournaments and whatnot?


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## Green (Oct 2, 2010)

*Re: Pokémon cards*

Nope. Unless it's an unlimited tournament. PokeBeach usually updates with the current year's limited list.


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## Barubu (Oct 2, 2010)

*Re: Pokémon cards*

Hmm. Thank you.


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## Aisling (Oct 2, 2010)

*Re: Pokémon cards*

You'll probably only find newer boosters, but personally I like all of them, especially the newer ones. I never saw illustrations by tokiya or MAHOU until the most recent sets (Arceus and onward) and they are some of my favorites. Hajime Kusajima had some good ones from the gen 3 sets though.

If you're looking to find cards online for collecting, from the e-reader sets and onward the Japanese cards were of higher quality. The backs have this glossy finish and they used a lot more ink. Two of my three favorites of my collection are a first edition Japanese Froslass from Arceus, and a first edition Japanese Charizard ☆ from the ex Dragon Frontiers set, and the ink is put on really thick and they have a very nice texture. English holofoil cards from the DP set and onwards are kind of crappy but have been getting progressively better. All of my holofoil cards from the DP set have little spots and swirls still a little visible _outside the picture_, and at first I was afraid they were fake but no, they're just kind of that crappy.

um, I could probably go on. Any more specific questions?


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## Barubu (Oct 2, 2010)

*Re: Pokémon cards*

Yes. My mom doesn't like to order things online, because someone got her bank-card-number-thingy, so I was hoping for advice on things at stores.


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## Aisling (Oct 2, 2010)

*Re: Pokémon cards*

Oh. Well, don't buy from flea markets and the like, and don't buy boosters if they're too cheap to be true. Wal-Mart and Target are my favorite places to shop for cards. The two Targets in Nashville I've been to have a very broad selection (including DP and sets that might be out of official tournament rotation), whereas Wal-Mart tends to only has the two or three most recent sets, but at least those sets are guaranteed to be in rotation since they're newest. But I have been to a couple of chintzy Wal-Marts in Florida that only have, say, the older half of what Target would have and none of the new ones. Both stores usually have tins and boxes, but Target has a better selection 90% of the time. Local hobby shops might be a good place to check too, usually privately owned places are run by people who appreciate legit cards and stuff.


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## Barubu (Oct 2, 2010)

*Re: Pokémon cards*

Well then. To Target if my mom agrees to take me


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## Aisling (Oct 2, 2010)

*Re: Pokémon cards*

Oh, and sometimes you'll find unofficial pack type things that have like, one promo or one holographic in the front with 15 extra cards or something behind them. Wal-Mart often has those, and my local Books-A-Million (check out bookstores too if you have any) also does, for like $5 or something. Those are _usually_ okay because those extra cards are guaranteed to be kind of worthless (unless you're short on energies or something and don't want to buy a theme deck), but be wary of those. Maybe buy one to get a closer look at the cards and see if they're legit or not, and if they are then it's likely the others from that store are too. When I get them it's usually just for the holofoil in the front, if it's one I don't have yet.


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## Green (Oct 2, 2010)

*Re: Pokémon cards*

They are legit. They're fine to buy and I used to buy them instead.

Or at least I wanted to.


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## Aisling (Oct 2, 2010)

*Re: Pokémon cards*

Well, the main problem with them is there's no variety. The only reason they're so cheap with 15 cards in them is that the only card ever actually worth anything in them is the holofoil in the front. Unless you really want that specific holofoil, it's better to go with a booster in a wrapper.
But if you find a booster or a 15+holofoil pack where there are a bunch of holofoils or rare cards in them (yes, there are hoax boosters in wrappers and everything out there), you can almost be sure they're not real. In the case of a booster with many holofoils in it, all legit boosters only contain up to two holofoils- one reverse holo or Lv. X/Prime/whatever, and one rare which may be a holofoil or may not be. If you find one with more foils than that you've been duped. You'd be hard pressed to find those in Wal-Mart or anything though. You usually find that in flea markets and stuff. So just avoid those places altogether.


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## Green (Oct 2, 2010)

*Re: Pokémon cards*

Also tins are great. Buy as much of those as possible because you can get great pulls.

Also I got a Rocket's Sneasel promo in the front of one of those bargain packs and a holo lickilicky in one of actual packs from it. :U


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## Barubu (Oct 2, 2010)

*Re: Pokémon cards*

Oh, and I bought a thing with a holophoil card and three boosters from Walmart, but I didn't find any energies. Is that just a coincidence or are there packs that have energies and not pokémon and vice-versa?


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## Green (Oct 2, 2010)

*Re: Pokémon cards*

Nope. Just lucky. :V


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## Aisling (Oct 2, 2010)

*Re: Pokémon cards*



Barubu said:


> Oh, and I bought a thing with a holophoil card and three boosters from Walmart, but I didn't find any energies. Is that just a coincidence or are there packs that have energies and not pokémon and vice-versa?


Boosters themselves usually don't have energies. Only the "base set" of whatever series usually does, such as the DP and HS sets. Emerald had some pretty ones though, and ex Holon Phantoms and Power Keepers had some too, but those latter three are holofoil energies. DP had normal ones and HS had ones with Pokemon in the background. examples


One thing to look for if you're not sure if your cards are real or not is the é in Pokémon. The more recent hoax cards usually have Pokemon without the accent marks. Symbols inside Energies on the cards (like type, energy cost for an attack, those things) are usually really big and touch the edges of the circles they're inside, too. They may also be thinner. Real cards are actually three layers of cardboard glued together, whereas fake cards usually don't bother.


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